Asch's Study of Conformity

Question 1

What was the aim of Asch’s study?

Answer 1

To investigate how social pressure affected conformity in the presence of an unambiguous task.

Question 2

What procedures were involved?

Answer 2

• sample of 123 male American undergraduates
• ppts told it was a study on visual perception
• one real ppt placed last, with seven confederates
• matching task, standard line and three comparison lines.
• 12/18 were critical trials where confederates gave incorrect answers.

Question 3

What were the findings of Asch’s study? (4)

Answer 3

• 37% of ppts conformed during critical trials
• during critical trials, 74% conformed at least once
  25% never conformed
• in control group (no confederates) less than 1% gave the wrong answer.

Question 4

What did Asch conclude about the findings of his research?

Answer 4

Even when the task is unambiguous, people conform due to NSI.
* shows power of group pressure in influencing behaviour

Question 5

Provide one strength of Asch’s research.

Answer 5

Strength:
* standardised procedures, took place in a lab = high internal validity

Question 6

Evaluate the weaknesses of Asch’s study.

Answer 6

• low temporal validity
  1950s United States, societal pressures were high due to political climate of McCarthyism
  Perrin and Spencer (1980) - only 1/396 British STEM students conformed
  only reflected the state of society at the time it was conducted.